Seventy Nations

The Targum renders this Martiorti or Mariotai. These are the people of Mareotis, a district in lower Egypt containing the town of Marea.

They are identified as the residents of Arce, a city at the northwest foot of Mount Lebanon (Josephus; Bereshith Rabbah 37. Cf. Bekhoroth 57b).

Some identify him with the founder of Morad in Yemen (Kesseth HaSofer). Others say that it is Allumaeoltae mentioned in Ptolemy's Geography.

A people who originally lived on the west of the Dead Sea, but were driven out (Genesis 14:7). They lived around Hebron, where they allied with Abraham (Genesis 14:13). They also lived around Shechem (Genesis 48:22). Later, they settled the land on the east bank along the Arnon River, near Moab (Numbers 21:13). They also lived in Gilead (Numbers 32:39). They later invaded the Holy Land again (Judges 1:34).

These are identified as the inhabitants of the island of Aradus on the Phoenician coast (Josephus; Yerushalmi, Megillah 1:9, Bereshith Rabbah 37). Others identify them with the town of Antridanai, that is, Antarados, a town opposite the island of Arados (Targum Yerushalmi). Another source identifies them with the Lutsai, probably the inhabitants of Arethusia, between Epiphania and Emasa.

Identified with Assyria (cf. Josephus). See Genesis 2:14, 10:11. Their territory was basically east of the Tigris

Also known as Sumeria

Literally 'Father of Mael.' Some identify this with the Mali, a tribe living in the Mecca area, described by Theophrastus (Enquiry into Plants 9:4). This is the Minaei described by Strabo.

Aborigine tribe of the Holy Land. See Genesis 10:15-19.

This is to the north near Mount Hermon; Judges 3:3. Also see Numbers 13:21, 34:8, Amos 6:14, Ezekiel 47:17. It is on the Orontes River. Josephus states that it is the place called Amathe, although the Macedonians call it Ephania (cf. Bereshith Rabbah 37). It is also identified with Antioch (Targum Yonathan).

Literally, 'Courtyard of Death.' Some identify this with Hadarmaveth in southern Arabia (Kesseth HaSofer 122a).

See notes on Genesis 10:7, 2:11. Some identify this with Chavlotai, an area on the Persian Gulf described in ancient geographies (Strabo 16:728. This is Huvaila in Bahrein. Others state that it is Avalitae on the Avalite Bay (now Zeila), a city on the Sea of Adan south of Bab el Mandeb. There is also a Nagar Havili in India, on the Arabian Sea, some 80 miles north of Bombay. There is also a town Chwala on the Caspian Sea, and therefore in Russian the Caspian Sea is called Chwalinskoje More. The name Havilah in the Torah may refer to more than one place.

Havilah was Gaia daughter of Cush who was wed to Nimrod.

Cheth in Hebrew, father of the Hittites, one of the tribes living in the Holy Land; cf. Genesis 15:20. They lived to the west of the Dead Sea around Hebron; Genesis 23:5. Both the Hittites and Amorites were associated with the Jerusalem area; Ezekiel 16:3,45.

Chivi in Hebrew. They lived in the central part of the Holy Land near Shechem (Genesis 34:2). They also lived in Gibeon, and survived the conquest of the Holy Land (Joshua 9:3,7, 11:19). They lived in the north, near Mount Lebanon, from Hermon to Chamath (Judges 3:3). Some identify them with the people of Tripoli (Targum Yerushalmi). The Midrash apparently notes that they were cave dwellers (Chaldun; Bereshith Rabbah 37). They were also adept at testing soil by taste (Shabbath 85a, but see Tosefoth ad loc. s.v. Chivi). See note on Genesis 36:3.

Josephus states that Chul founded Armenia, a land to the south of the eastern Black Sea. See Herodotus 7:73.

Josephus identifies this nation with the Judadeans of western Ethiopia. The Targum has M'zag, perhaps the Mazices of northern Africa.

Literally a palm tree. Some say that it is an area in Mina, abundant in palm trees (cf. Pliny 6:28).

In 1 Chronicles 1:7 it is Rodanim (cf. Bereshith Rabbah 37:1). The Dodonians were known to be an ancient people (cf. Iliad 2:748; Herodotus 2:52-57). The Targum renders it as Dardania, a city on the Dardanelles, after which the strait was named (cf. Herodotus 1:189, 7:43; Iliad 2:819). The Targum (Yonathan) also adds Ridos, Chamen and Antioch. Ridos is identified with Rhodes (Abarbanel). Others identify the Dodanim with the Bohemians (Tol'doth Yitzchak; cf. Sefer HaYashar).

This is seen as an island; see Ezekiel 27:7. Josephus identifies it with the Aeolians (Antiquities 1:6:1), who were known to have inhabited the island of Lesbos (Herodotus 1:151). Others, however, identify it with Sicily (Abarbanel). This is supported by the Targum which renders it Italia (Targum on Ezekiel 27:7).

Talmudic sources identify Elisha with Alsu or Elis (Yerushalmi, Megillah 1:9; Bereshith Rabbah 37). This may be identified with Elis, an ancient land in Peloponnesus (southern Greece) along the Ionian Sea (see Iliad 2:615). A small village, Ilis or Eleis, currently remains on the site of the city of Elis. In the interior of the country was the sanctuary and valley of Olympia, where the quadrennial Olympic games were held for over 1000 years.

Others identify this Talmudic source with Hellas, since the Greeks called themselves Hellas or Ellis (Kesseth HaSofer). This was indeed an ancient appelation for a Greek tribe (cf. Iliad 2:681; but see Thucydides 1:3). It may also be associated with the Halys River, which separated the Greek-dominated area from the Asiatic. The name Helles is also found in the Hellespont, the channel that currently separates Europe from Asia (the modern Dardanelles).

According to all midrashim, Esau is a very significant character in world history. Inasmuch as Jacob is considered to be the progenitor of the Children of Israel, it is Esau who is regarded as the forefather of Rome and the Roman Empire. The struggle between the Roman Empire and the Jews stemming from the land of Judah alternated, according to history, between cooperation and outright hate and warfare. The argument is proposed that Esau was born with red coloring in his hair and body, and the ancient rabbis have connected this with the red banner and standard favored by Rome's legions.

After Jacob is given Isaac's blessing as leader, Esau is given the blessing that he shall "live by the sword". Some see this as another sign of Rome, famous for her unique sword made of steel - the gladius - that smashed its way to world hegemony and on the way massacred the descendants of Jacob/Israel.

Another explanation is that Esau is described by the Bible as ancestor of the Edomites, the Hebrews' neighbors (and on many occasions, enemies) to the south. King Herod, whom many Jews considered as a usurper and destroyed of the legitimate Hasmonean dynasty, was an Edomite (though converted to Judaism). And since Herod was a collaborator with the Roman rule, the ancestor of the Roman's collaborator becme identified with the Romans themselves.

Later, when the Roman Empire turned Christian, Esau became perforce identified with Christianity and Christians. This was reinforced by the rise of Islam, whose followers outspokenly claimed Ismael as their ancestor. This created for Jews a neat symmetrical view of history, with each of the competing monotheistic religions identified with a brother of a Jewish Patriarch (Ismael, brother of Isaac, and Esau, brother of Jacob).

Jews living in a Christian environment tended to attribute to Esau the cultural characteristic of their neighbors. For example, in Yiddish folksongs Esau is often depicted as an immoderate consumer of alcoholic drinks, which has no Biblical basis but is could have been drawn from a widespread practice in Slavic societies (which most Jews in the same countries conspicously did not participate, at least until well into the Twentieth Century).

In some cases, Esau's role is expanded to being identified with all non-Jews, whatever their religion - espeically in the context of antisemitism. The Talmudic saying "It is well-known that Esau hates Jacob" (Hebrew: הלכה בידוע שעשיו שונא ליעקב) is often quoted, up to the present, by nationalist and isolationist Jewish groups assering that Jew-hatred is an endemic and incureable phenomenon of some non-Jewish socieities, and that all efforts at reconciliation with non-Jews, achieving equality in a non-Jewish environment or assimilation are futile and doomed to failure.

Idumeans

The Edomites or Idumeans, descendants of Esau, early peopled the country of Arabia Petrea. Their capital was Mount Seir, whence they expelled the aboriginal Horites, and succeeded to their possessions. Two grandsons of Esau, - Teman and Amalek,

Amalekites

The Amalekites were progenitors of separate Arab tribes. The Amalekites had at least a partial seat at Petra and the country about tbe head of the Red Sea till near the year 700 B.C., when they were driven thence probably in a southern direction. Mahometan legend speaks of Amalekite tribes as the earliest inhabitants both of Medina and Mecca, and of the country lying to the south of Syria.

According to Josephus, the founder of the Bactrian nation.

Inhabitants of the Holy Land (Genesis 15:21). According to tradition, they left the Holy Land before the Israelite invasion and settled in Africa (Yerushalmi, Shabbath 6:31; Rashi on Exodus 33:2, 34:11).

Some interpret this as denoting 'the south.' This was a fortress to the south of San'a (Kesseth HaSofer). See 1 Chronicles 18:10; Zechariah 12:11.

The Ishmaelites, or Hagarenes. Hagar, when cast forth by Abraham, dwelt with her son in the wilderness of Paran, to the north of Arabia. The divine promise of temporal prosperity in favour of the seed of Ishmael was faithfully fulfilled. His twelve sons became "twelve princes according to their nations." These fruitful tribes first extended along the frontier of Arabia, from the northern extremity of the Red Sea towards the mouth of the Euphrates. They appear to have occupied each a separate district, and followed a nomad life, in moveable encampments, and with occasional fortified places of refuge for their cattle. They also practised merchandize, and became wealthy and powerful.

Nabatheans

Of the sons of Ishmael, Nebaioth the first born was the father of the Nabathean nation, who succeeded the Idumeans in Arabia Petrea, and whom we find at the commencement of our era holding a wide political influence in Northern Arabia.

Kedarenes

The second, Kedar, was so famous in "is Arab descendants, that the epithet Kedarenes" came to be applied by the Jews to the Bedouins in general15. Less noted are the names of Duma, Thema, Jetur, and Naphish 16. The progeny of the remaining sons either mingled with other tribes or, penetrating the peninsula, have escaped historical record.

Keturakites

Keturah bore to Abraham six sons; and these he sent away to the eastward while he yet lived. Their descendants established themselves as nomad tribes throughout the great desert in the north of Arabia.

Midianites

The Midanites, sprung from the fourth son, soon became a numerous people. With the Moabites, they endeavoured to obstruct the progress of the children of Israel towards the Holy Land; and, in the time of the Judges, they held them in subjection for seven years 18. Dedan and Sheba, children of Jokshan, the second son of Ketura, are also connected with Arab associations19.